With antarctic aplomb emperors appraise the bleak and beautiful
islands remained obstinately frozen over.
But in mid-December the first supply ship
reached Davis, and shortly thereafter a heli
copter brought us our first mail in nearly a
year. From then on contact with the outside
world was frequent as various biologists
were ferried out to the islands.
A distressing effect of this contact, added
with the shrinking of our accessible world as
the sea ice grew dangerously soft and thin,
was renewed flareups of resentment by Nor
man and Jamie against the expedition lead
ership. Finally, after Jamie challenged my
directive to accept Gill's judgment about the
safety of sea ice they were hoping to cross, he
662
became especially abusive. I was forced to
take strong measures.
That evening the disconsolate Jamie and
his belongings were flown out to the Davis
base aboard a specially dispatched helicop
ter, and from there shipped to Australia.
At last, on January 26, 1984, we nosed
cautiously out of Winterover Bay, our home
for 11 months. After a stop at Davis and a
weather-thwarted attempted visit to the
Soviet base of Mirnyy, 700 miles eastward,
we shaped course for Sydney, 3,250 miles
northeast, speeding across the southern
ocean on the wings of a succession of storms.
March 11, 1984-16 months and nearly
NationalGeographic,November 1984